Monthly Archives: January 2014

Some people seem to have a hard time differentiating between national and global issues and New Brunswick-specific issues. I say we need a moderate level of GDP and population growth to stabilize our fiscal situation and ensure we have the … Continue reading →

From my TJ column on Wednesday and by popular demand: New Brunswick needs new sources of economic growth.  I contend that expanding immigration could be an important source of much needed new economic activity. However, I am told the federal … Continue reading →

You may or may not be surprised to know that at least a half dozen people have asked me to comment on the UNB strike.  I have resisted because a) I know a pile of profs and may not be … Continue reading →

One of the things that was missing from the 2014 Economic Summit compared to 1994’s version was the lack of futurist/future thinking. That was deliberate as the goals of the summit were to rally the stakeholders around a shared model … Continue reading →

The Economist magazine has an excellent primer this week on the start-up revolution and why this time is different from the Dot.Com boom of the late 199os.  One of the articles is on the importance of accelerators – a space in … Continue reading →

My mother tells me her uncle used to make fun of New Brunswickers.  He was from Nova Scotia and was a ‘bluenoser’ while New Brunswickers were ‘herring chokers’ (pronounced ‘heron chokers’).  I googled this term and sure enough, my great … Continue reading →

At the Greater Moncton Economic Summit a number of speakers reiterated the now well worn refrain about “growth from within”.  “Eighty percent of all new jobs come from within and not by attracting industry”.  This or some variance is widely … Continue reading →

I recently read a report written by a respected consulting firm in the Maritimes where it discussed the leverage ratio of government investment in a sector to the amount of GDP created.  It concluded the $100 million+ invested by government … Continue reading →

Another dire warning in the TJ this morning from a political commentator out of Nova Scotia.  He claims if we (in the Maritimes) don’t do something fast  on the economic front  ……. we are headed for disaster. If you have read this … Continue reading →

From a recent TJ column: According to Statistics Canada, manufacturing sales in New Brunswick were up 7.7 per cent to $1.9 billion in October, the highest level on record. Compared to September, sales rose in 16 of 21 industries. Compared … Continue reading →